Author: Andrea Kendall
My Journey
Part One – The Beginning & the Trip to the Breeder
A few weeks ago started me on my journey with chinchillas. It began as two chinchillas arrived in the pet store that I work in part time. I had seen chinchillas before but they always seemed to be hyper, nervous, testy animals. These little ones were to prove me wrong and teach me a lesson that would change my outlook forever. Even right out of the shipping boxes, both were friendly and curious. I was surprised at this and was immediately taken with them. Both were standard grays and they inspired me to learn more. I must have a chinchilla of my own! I thought, but I didn’t know much about them. So, now I was inspired to find out information, and my first stop for pet knowledge was the internet.
I was delighted to find a wealth of sites dedicated specifically to teaching others about these wonderful animals. I researched and studied, constantly learning more and decided that these were definitely the right animals for me. However, I decided I wanted a younger chin, a kit, and from a breeder. I loved the different colors and chose the white mosaic as my favorite. After a little more searching, I found a breeder not even forty-five minutes away from me and arranged a trip to see the available kits that Saturday. This was around Tuesday and the next few days were some of the longest I’ve had waiting on any animal!
My boyfriend and I arrived at 11am and were enthusiastically greeted by the breeder whom I’d been in constant contact with through email and phone. It was a delight to meet her and we were excited about the visit. She led us to an outdoor building she had specifically for her chinchillas, the cold waft of air conditioning greeted us lovingly as we entered.
I was in heaven. All around me were cages of chinchillas, clean, happy, friendly and in a beautiful range of colors! She went through introducing us to different breeders and naming the parents of the specific kits she had available. It was wonderful to hear her speak of her favorites and meet these beautiful animals. Among my personal favorites were a huge beige, a stunningly dark black velvet, and a gorgeous ebony/white mosaic female. I was sorely tempted to ask about purchasing the black velvet, but by the shine in her eyes I knew it was a lost cause. So, eagerly, we began looking at the kits for sale.
I’d already placed a deposit on a male white mosaic kit, of which she had two. They were simply gorgeous! Mostly pure white, they both had similar gray markings on the face and a bit at the base of the tail. The only obvious difference was the fact that one had darker ears, and this was the one I chose. These little guys were a mere four weeks and holding my kit was a treat! Very curious and not at all shy, he sniffed and moved around on my arms until he found a nice, warm spot and then would settle down for petting. I was delighted. As the breeder continued to explain the different colors and how to get them (which was fascinating) she also brought us around to see even more of the kits. I had spoken to her about whether it was good to have more than one chinchilla and even though she had suggested it was better to have at least a pair, she wasn’t pressuring me. Instead, she slyly kept showing me gorgeous kits. Well, this ploy certainly worked. She was obviously as large an animal lover as I was and as she showed me more and more I decided I wanted another. I had half planned on this and had the money for another deposit with me. Now the problem was choosing another color!
Finally, after going through them all, I was drawn back to a little homo ebony male. He was just stunning, a deep, velvety dark gray. I held him and was almost instantly smitten. However, it was a done deal as during one of his sleepy moments in my arms as I stroked him, he started uttering little cheeps. I was informed by the breeder that this was a contented noise akin to purring. I was sold. I was destined to be a slave to two beautiful male kits and I couldn’t have been happier.
After a good deal more conversation, we left the breeder and began the journey home. The two I had chosen were but four weeks old and so this was now a waiting game. I had already ordered supplies: Mazuri pellets, a cage, ledges, a dustbox, a sleep box, and everything else I needed. It would be roughly five weeks before I could bring the little guys home. So now, all I truly needed was patience. However, it was good to be getting practice as I knew from my research that these gentle creatures best responded to lots of it! So, determined to be strong, I began planning another visit to the breeder in two weeks. I wouldn’t be able to get my little boys yet, but I would be able to hold them, cuddle them and see their progression. This was the beginning of my journey, and I couldn’t have been more excited!
(Part Two Continues Later)
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